Georgia Supreme Court upholds ban on young adults carrying firearms in public. Even some of the most Second Amendment-friendly states in the country can pass laws that raise serious constitutional concerns. Georgia a state often praised for its pro-gun legislation—is one such example.
Currently, Georgia prohibits young adults between the ages of 18 and 20 from carrying firearms in public spaces. While individuals in this age group are legally permitted to own and possess firearms in specific circumstances—such as within their own homes, inside their vehicles, at their place of business, or while participating in lawful hunting or fishing activities—they are still barred from carrying a firearm for the purpose of self-defense in public.
This blanket restriction comes with one narrow exception: young adults in this age group who have military training. That provision excludes the vast majority of otherwise law-abiding 18- to 20-year-olds who may feel the need to protect themselves, especially in today’s uncertain world.
Denial of Rights: Thomas Stephens Challenges the Law
This issue recently came to a head when Thomas Stephens, a resident of Lumpkin County, challenged the law. In 2023, at just 18 years old, Stephens applied for a weapons carry license and was promptly denied—solely due to his age. He believed the denial was not only unjust but unconstitutional.
Stephens filed a lawsuit arguing that the age-based restriction on public carry effectively denied him his Second Amendment rights. His legal team emphasized that the Constitution does not make exceptions for age when it comes to the right to bear arms. By relegating gun rights to a privilege granted only to those 21 and older, Stephens argued, Georgia was turning a fundamental right into a conditional benefit.
Unfortunately for Stephens, both a trial court and now the Georgia Supreme Court sided with the state. On Wednesday, the high court officially upheld the state’s current law, ruling that it is constitutional to restrict public carry rights based on age.
The decision is a blow to young adults across Georgia—and potentially the nation—who want to exercise their right to self-defense without being treated as second-class citizens.
The Court’s Justification: Legislative Authority and “Original Meaning”
In its ruling, the Georgia Supreme Court pointed to the state’s constitution, which affirms the right to keep and bear arms while also giving the General Assembly the power to regulate weapons. Justice Andrew Pinson, who authored the majority opinion, wrote that the court’s decision relied not on typical legal tests like “history and tradition”—standards often used in Second Amendment cases—but rather on the broader historical context and original meaning of the Constitution.
According to Pinson, the authority to regulate who may carry weapons in public falls under the legislature’s purview. In other words, the justices argued that it is not the court’s role to second-guess laws passed by elected representatives, even if those laws appear to curtail constitutional rights.
This decision essentially places the power entirely in the hands of lawmakers, leaving young adults in Georgia with no legal pathway to protect themselves in public unless the legislature acts.
What’s Next: A Case for the U.S. Supreme Court?
This ruling in Georgia doesn’t just affect one young man—it sets a dangerous precedent. If rights can be delayed until age 21, what’s to stop lawmakers from adjusting that number even higher in the future? What other rights could be subject to arbitrary age thresholds?
As this issue continues to move through the legal system, all eyes may soon turn to the U.S. Supreme Court. At its core, this case asks a fundamental question: Are 18- to 20-year-olds truly part of “We the People”?
These are individuals who can vote, enlist in the military, enter into legal contracts, and be tried as adults in court. Denying them the ability to carry a firearm for self-defense sends a conflicting and troubling message about how seriously we take their rights—and whether we recognize their full citizenship under the Constitution.
For now, young adults in Georgia remain restricted. But this fight is far from over. The tension between state-level control and constitutional protections is escalating, and it may ultimately take a national ruling to determine whether constitutional rights start at 18—or only when the government says they do.
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